History of Measurement
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Table of Contents
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Egyptians
Leonardo Da'Vinci
Roman Empire
Units of Measurement
English Standards & King James
Units of Measurement
French Academy
Units of Measurement
Pivotal Moments
References
Cover
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Egyptians
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1 cubit = 6 palms = 24 fingers
Palm = 4 fingers
Hand = 5 fingers
Fist = 6 fingers
Span = 14 fingers
Rod = 100 cubits
1. Shaftment
2. Hand
3. Palm
4. Span
5. Finger
6. Digit
Leonardo Da'Vinci
Roman Empire
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1 foot = 16 fingers (digitus in Latin) or 12
thumbs (inch in Latin)
1 mile = 1000 paces
1 yard = 1 pace
Henry I of England
His Foot, Thumb, etc. (inch in
Latin) became the standard
unit size as established by the
Office of Weights and
Measures
Units of Measurement
Length
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12 lines = 1 inch
12 inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
1760 yards = 1 mile
36 inches = 1 yard
440 yards = quarter mile
880 yards = half mile
100 links = 1 chain
10 chains = 1 furlong
8 furlongs = 1 mile
4 inches = 1 hand
22 yards = 1 chain
5.5 yards = 1 rod, pole or perch
4 poles = 1 chain
40 poles = 1 furlong
King James Bible
Biblical Units of Measurement
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Bath = 5.8 gallons
Cubit = 17 – 21 inches
Ephah = 20 quarts
Farthing = ¼ cents
Gerah = .02 ounces
Hin = 1 gallon
Homer = 58 gallons
Mina = 1.26 pounds
Mite = 1/8 cents
Omer = 2 quarts
Penny = 16 cents
Pound = 100 shekels or 16 dollars
Shekel = .4 ounces
Span = 9 inches
Talent = 75 pounds
French Academy of Science
Rather than based on human proportions
and ratios, Metric system’s:
• length (miter) was based on the
dimensions of the Earth (one tenmillionth of the distance from the
equator to the North Pole)
• mass (kilogram) was based on water with
volume of 1 liter
• temperature based on boiling point and
freezing point of water.
Units of Measurement
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100,000 nanometers = 1 millimeter
1000 micrometers = 1 millimeter
10 millimeters = 1 centimeter
100 centimeters = 1 meter
1000 meter = 1 kilometer
Pivotal Moments
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1875 - Treaty of the Meter - On May 20,
the United States entered into a treaty
with 17 powers establishing the
International Bureau of Weights and
Measures, and providing for its
administration.
1791 - “Jefferson Report” - established
Standard Meter Length
Metric Law of 1866 - Congress made use
of the Metric System legally permissible
throughout the United States.
Metric Act of 1983
REFERENCES
History of measurement - Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. (2012, May 6). Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. Retrieved May 22, 2012, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_measureme
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